Cyber Security: Importance and Issues in India 2020

Cyber-security: Importance and Issues in India

In this technology oriented world, internet plays a dominant role. As large amount of data is getting processed and exchanged over the internet, the chances of cyber-crimes are also rising exponentially. There are several processes that facilitate frauds like spoofing, anonymity, data brokering, jurisdictional issues etc. The various cyber-crimes include information piracy, online identity threat, financial frauds, hacking, intellectual property crime etc.

The attempts at frauds are limited by cyber-security tools and controls. In this blog, we shall learn how they work and how to protect ourselves in this treacherous virtual world?

What Cyber-security actually does?To protect the computer system from cybercrimes, cyber-security architecture has been designed. It’s a body of technologies, processes, or programs which are programmed to protect the data and networks from unauthorized accesses. It plays a vital role in securing the information contained in the virtual world.

Importance of cyber-security:Cyber-security is extremely vital important because government, military, corporate, financial processes depend on the cyber world. Any breach of data or unauthorized access can create havoc. Attacks on critical infrastructure of a nation, has potential to paralyze it. Consider the 2017 cyber-attacks on Ukraine - A series of powerful cyber-attacks using the Petya malware, which targeted the websites of Ukrainian organizations, including banks, ministries, newspapers and electricity firms. Similarly, Estonia was stormed in 2007 by series of cyber-attacks including DDoS and use of bots for spam distribution.

Organizations transmit sensitive data across networks and devices during the course of their business, and cyber-security helps in protecting these data from the various threats. As the volume of cyber threats is increasing, companies and organization are deploying CISO to safeguard themselves etc.

Challenges of cyber-security:For effective cyber-security, an organization must secure its entire information and network system.

Elements of cyber-security encompass all of the following:

Network security

Application security

Endpoint security

Identity management

Data security

Database and infrastructure security

Cloud security

Mobile security

End-user education

Disaster recovery/ business continuity planning

The most difficult challenge in cyber-security is the rapidly emerging threats. Most of the organizations secure their computers and devices from common known threats but that doesn’t suffice in the today’s world. The threats are advancing and evolving rapidly. Threat factors are changing more quickly than what most of the organization can cope up with.

As a result, more proactive solutions are needed to tackle these threats. There should be a shift towards continuous and real time threat assessment, a data focused approach to security which is opposed to the traditional perimeter-based model.

How frauds can be controlled?The capabilities that rapidly evolving threat possess is truly worrisome. However, as expected, they are limited to handful number of people across the globe. An average internet user is not expected to be hit by Stuxnet or Rocra espionage malwares. Following healthy cyber security practices and taking due precautions, should usually suffice.

Some aspects of cyber-security worth keeping in mind are:

Use a full-service internet security suite: It provides complete protection against viruses, malware and ransom-ware. It also protects user data when they go online.

Use strong unbreakable passwords: One should never re-use passwords across various websites. Otherwise, if one gets compromised, then all other accounts may have similar fate.

Keep your software updated: Software providers detect flaws in the older version and release updates in the form of patches to combat them. Therefore, keeping the software updated is necessary to counter the latest threats.

Manage your social media settings: Always keep a tab on the information that you share with others on social media sites. The personal information can be used by fraudsters to defraud you. Always remember, data once posted online, potentially remains there forever.

Know what to do if you become a victim: If you ever become a victim of cyber-crime/ fraud, immediately report the same to the nearest police station/ cyber cell or on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal – cybercrime.gov.in.